Intimate Supplication of Lisan al-Din Publisher - Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi

Bismillah.

1912 was said to be the year the esteemed Shaykh Ahmad ibn Mustafa al-Alawi published a weekly publication called Lisan al-Din. Now that 2012 has just left us, that means we are 100 years apart from what Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi had started.

We are not saying we are qualified or worthy to publish anything as good as what the shaykh was capable and had authority to do. Lisan al-Din the blog is just a small gesture to prove our respect and adoration towards the solehin and 'arifeen - special elect people whom we have every reason to believe are Sufis.

Shaykh Ahmad ibn Mustafa al-Alawi (1869 - 1934) was [as many of you already knew] named the 'Sufi Saint of the 20th Century' by Martin Lings (Shaykh Abu Bakar Sirajuddin) and surely his mureed know better of the shaykh's eminent position and influence in the tariqa. We have utmost respect for them.

To commemorate the passing of a century since the inception of the original Lisan al-Din, let us heed some of the precious words penned by Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi in Munajat Alawiyah. We are grateful to have found this gem, thanks to one eloquent translator and writer Sidi Abdul Majid Bhurgri who had completed the English translation of Munajat Alawiyah in 2005 and named it 'Intimate Supplication'. And subsequently in 2009 an eBook had been made available Alhamdulillah so that faqir like us could have access to such a precious hidden treasure. The price of the eBook, according to its rightful owners, is: "Prayers of the reader, for the author, translator, his Shaykh, parents, his beloved wife and all those who made publishing and free distribution of this book possible through their prayers and help."

Indeed, we pray may Allah reward them with the best reward He deems fit, for clearly they are among the helpers of Allah.

Likewise, we pray Allah grant us the time, patience and tenacity to read the munajat as it is not only lengthy in form but also deep in context. We pray Allah grant us the understanding and gnosis as the author Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi must have intended and prayed for the readers.

We quote herewith a few lines from the English version of Munajat Alawiyah so that it would serve as encouragement for all of us to embrace it in its entirety Insha Allah.

"O my Allah!

If a trial has been ordained for us,

let it not be in the matters of faith.

If a tribulation has been destined for us,

let not our hearts be the target.

If an ordeal has been predestined,

let it not be an ordeal in the lives next.

And if a disobedience has been preordained,

let that not be our final end.

O my Allah,

I dare not ask that You do away with Your decrees;

I merely seek Your aid in these.

My Allah, this here is my plea:

to the destiny decreed, make us submit gleefully;

and make the destiny agreeable to us mercifully -

so that we neither hurry in seeking that

which You have deferred somehow,

nor desire to postpone that

which You have ordained for now.

Verily Allah does what He wills.

O Allah,

inspire us not with thoughts useless,

nor install on us rulers merciless,

and hand us over not to our egos shameless.

O Allah,

You be my Helper and my Advisor,

and make the intellect my counselor, wise."

Munajat Alawiyah/Intimate Supplication of Shaykh Ahmad ibn Mustafa al-Alawi

http://www.bhurgri.com/bhurgri/downloads/munajat.pdf